Adolescent Health

Between the ages of 10 and 19, adolescents are the stage in life that is between childhood, adulthood, and adolescence. This is an extraordinary stage in human development, and it is crucial for building the foundations for good health.

Adolescents go through rapid cognitive, physical and psychosocial growth. This impacts how they feel, think and make decisions. It also affects their interaction with the world around.

Although the adolescent years are considered a healthy time in life, there are significant deaths, illness, and injuries. Many of these issues can be prevented or treated. This is when adolescents develop patterns of behavior that could either protect their health or pose a risk to their health in the future.

Adolescents need to be informed in order to grow and thrive in good health. This includes age-appropriate sexual education, life skills development, and access to health services that are safe, supportive, and equitable. A meaningful participation in the design and delivery interventions that improve or maintain their health is essential. To address the specific needs of adolescents, it is important to expand such opportunities.

Ageing

Everyone should have the chance to live a healthy and long life in any country. The environment in which we live can either be good for our health or bad. The environment has a significant impact on how we behave and are exposed to health risks, such as violence or air pollution, and also our access to services, such as health and social care, and the opportunities that aging brings.

Population is growing in number and percentage of those aged 60 and over. The number of people 60 and over was 1 billion in 2019. This number will rise to 1.4 billion in 2030 and 2.1 million by 2050. This unprecedented rate of growth is expected to accelerate in the coming decades, especially in developing countries.

This historic shift in global population needs adaptations to society’s structure across all sectors. This includes transport, housing, and health care. Our changing demographics require us to work hard to make the world more friendly for older people.

Brain health

The brain is the most complex organ of the human body. It is recognized as the command centre of the body, and has an impact on every aspect.

The state of brain health refers to the ability of a person’s brain to function across the cognitive, sensory and motor domains. It allows them to reach their full potential throughout their lives, regardless of whether they have any disorders. Many interconnected factors, including physical health, safety and security as well as learning and social connections, influence how our brains adapt to stress and adversity. There are strategies to promote and prevent this. These determinants can be addressed to improve brain health and create positive economic and social impacts that will lead to better well-being.

Conditions that affect the brain and nervous systems can develop throughout life. They are characterised by impairments in brain function, brain growth and/or damage. They may manifest as congenital neurological disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and cerebral palsy; epilepsy; headache disorders such as migraine; cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke; neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia and Parkinson disease; neuroinfectious or neuroimmunological disorders such as meningitis, HIV, neurocysticercosis, cerebral malaria and multiple sclerosis; neuromuscular disorders such as peripheral neuropathy, muscular dystrophies and myasthenia gravis; traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries; and cancers of the nervous system.

These conditions are best treated by multi-sectoral and interdisciplinarity collaborations that take a person-centered, holistic approach to health and social care.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is the best way to ensure your child’s survival and health. Almost 2/3 of infants don’t breastfeed for 6 months, a number that has not changed in over 2 decades.

Breastmilk is the best food for infants. Breast milk is safe, nutritious, and free of harmful chemicals. Breast milk supplies all the nutrients and energy that an infant needs in the first six months of their lives. It continues to supply half or more of the child’s nutritional requirements during the second and third years of his/her life.

Children who are breastfed perform better in intelligence tests and are less likely later to develop diabetes. Breastfeeding mothers have a lower risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer.

The marketing of breast-milk replacements in an inappropriate way continues to hinder efforts to increase breastfeeding rates and length around the world.